The Day The Earth Stood Still
by Collegekid2006
Summary: Twelve years ago, Shawn and Juliet helped put away a psycho. Twelve years ago, they thought the horror was over. Twelve years ago, they never thought their kids would have to pay the price for their role in the most twisted game in Santa Barbara his
1. Chapter 1

Juliet was exactly seven minutes late to work on the day her world imploded.

The morning had started off badly, with Shawn taking far too long in the shower and leaving her absolutely no hot water and Will and Mattie bickering over breakfast and Will spilling the Corn Puffs all over the table and floor…

It hadn't gotten any better once she finally managed to clean the milk out of her hair and find her badge under the pile of unfinished homework on the kitchen table and get out the door.

Fortunately, she kissed everyone before she left.

After what happened later that day, she wouldn't have forgiven herself if she hadn't.

She had slid into her desk at seven minutes past eight, just hoping Carlton wasn't standing at his office door, watching the bullpen like a hawk, just waiting for her to show up late.

Of course, this was Carlton.

He was totally standing in the office door, watching the bullpen, just waiting for her to show up late.

"O'Hara," he growled, his arms folded sternly across his chest as he marched resolutely across the room towards her desk. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She whirled around in her chair, her eyes narrowing sharply at him.

After the morning from hell, she wasn't about to put up with a lecture.

"Carlton," she snapped, her hands flinging up in the air. "Don't start with me. Not today. Will and Mattie are both currently covered in milk and cereal and walking to school without their homework because Shawn used all the hot water. Do you think I'm in the mood for this right now?"

He blinked in surprise, backing away slightly. "Uh…" he cleared his throat, his demeanor visibly shifting.

"Well?" she demanded again.

That was pushing it a bit far, as it turned out.

His eyes narrowed again as he quickly found his angry place once more. "You're supposed to call me Chief Lassiter," he reminded her. "I outrank you, O'Hara."

"Carlton, please," she rolled her eyes, turning back to her work. "I'm too tired for games today."

He sputtered and muttered angrily under his breath as he stalked back to his office, but he didn't bring it up again.

That suited them both just fine.

They both went about their day, working on cases as if nothing had happened. Indeed, nothing had. In their over fifteen years on the force together, they had developed a solid rapport that could withstand an occasional spat.

They didn't actually speak again, however, until Juliet got the note.

She left her desk for five minutes to refill her coffee mug for the fifth time that day. When she returned, still stirring the cream and sugar into the black, steaming liquid, there was an envelope on her desk.

An envelope that hadn't been there before.

She stared down at it for a long, silent moment, her pulse already starting to rise.

Across the front was a bold black and white ying-yang symbol and the words HEAD DETECTIVE JULIET O'HARA.

It wasn't even her name anymore, of course. She had changed it to Spencer ten years ago, when she had gotten married.

Somehow, that made the address even more ominous.

A sharp chill ran up her spine as she reached for the envelope, her fingers actually trembling as she tore it open.

There was only one person who could have sent it.

She already knew that.

What she didn't know was why.

Why…or what.

What the hell did it mean?

After everything they had gone through before, what seemed like a lifetime ago, Yang had only ended up serving a twelve year term for kidnapping and attempted murder. None of the actual homicide charges stuck due to insufficient evidence. She had been out for a few years now, and no one had ever heard anything again.

For all intents and purposes, she was gone.

Until now.

Inside the envelope, once she finally managed to calm her nerves enough to actually work it open, Juliet found a single photograph.

Her heart stopped when she pulled it out.

It was a picture of Will and Mattie, walking to school, covered in milk and cereal and laughing. Will's eyes were focused intrepidly on the street ahead of them, unaware they were being photographed, and Mattie was skipping along, her pigtails bobbing behind her.

The time and date stamp at the bottom declared it had been taken that morning.

She dropped it on the desk, some kind of high pitched noise emanating from her mouth as she looked around the precinct.

Someone there had put that on her desk.

She knew it.

Someone there….

Someone she worked with…

No!

It just wasn't—

Her eyes locked with Carlton's across the room. He immediately saw the desperation, the sheer terror, in her expression. He strolled across the bullpen briskly, trying not to look like he was rushing when they both knew he was.

"O'Hara," he grunted, stopping a few feet from her desk. "What the--?"

He stopped when Juliet held up the envelope.

As soon as he saw the ying-yang, he knew.

"Oh, God," he groaned. "What--?"

She shook her head slowly, holding up the picture of Will and Mattie next.

She could actually see his body tensing as he snatched it from her, checking the time and date stamp at the bottom. He glanced up, his unasked question in his eyes.

She nodded. "It's what they were wearing this morning," she whispered, fighting to get the words out.

Her mind was going a million directions at once, her training trying to kick in over her mother's instincts to protect her children no matter what.

There was so much to do.

There was so much to think.

But one thought superseded all the others in her mind, even as she tried to cling to the feeble hope that maybe it was all just some, sick twisted prank.

"Where's Shawn?"

z88;

* * * *

He was moving.

That was all Will could be sure of when he came to in the complete dark.

He was moving…and he was hot.

There was something over his head or eyes, blocking his view of whatever was around him, but none of that seemed to matter since he was also starting to realize he couldn't move, anyway.

Were his hands tied….?

Why was he moving…?

He could hear something rustling next to him, and he was suddenly fairly certain even through his fuzzy mind that it was Mattie.

It had to be Mattie.

They had been walking home from school together, when….

When what?

He couldn't remember anything after that.

"Mattie," he whispered hoarsely when he heard a muffled sob next to him. "Mattie, are you okay?"

"Will?" a tiny, frightened voice answered. "Will, where are we?"

"I don't know," he answered, inching closer to her the best he could with his restricted movements. "I think it's a car."

"Yeah," Mattie agreed. "But…"

She stopped her question there, neither of them knowing what came next.

What was she supposed to ask?

How was he supposed to answer?

Will inched closer still until he could feel the top of her head under his chin. He rested his chin gently on top of her hair, feeling her shake beneath him.

"It's going to be okay," he told her, honestly hoping he wasn't lying. "Don't worry, Mattie. It's going to be okay."

* * * *

There wasn't a note attached to the picture.

There wasn't a single clue as to what Juliet was supposed to do next.

But her kids were gone.

In ten minutes, Carlton had called the school and confirmed they had both walked home, just like always. He also sent a patrol car to the Spencer house, where they should have been watching TV and working on homework until Shawn got home a little while later.

They weren't there.

The door was locked, the lights were off.

They never made it home.

Juliet was there herself in another ten minutes after the patrol officers radioed in their report, once she decided she couldn't ascertain anything else from the cryptic picture on her desk. She told Buzz to call her if there was any more word from Yang, anything to go on at all.

The first place she went upon entering her home, her sanctuary, was Will's room. She ran up the stairs, not stopping or breathing until she was standing in the doorway. She didn't even turn on the light.

She didn't want to touch anything.

She wanted everything to be the same when he came back.

Her eyes slowly wandered over the room, over every single artifact of her little boy.

He was nine years old now, and an absolute mimic of his father. He clung to Shawn like a lifeline, soaking in every joke, every shared grin, as if it was pure gold.

But he was still her little boy.

Her little hero.

He watched over his little sister, over her. Since the day he had been born, she had never been able to be sad or hurt or lonely without him somehow knowing. Like a cat, the second her mood fell, he would be by her side, holding onto the hem of her shirt and blinking up at her with wide, innocent eyes that mirrored her own until whatever was ailing her just melted away into his golden blonde hair. He was the same with Mattie. Ever since she was a baby, the second she cried, he was by her side, offering her the stuffed ducky that always made her feel better.

Oh, God.

The duckie.

Her heart in her throat, Juliet quietly closed Will's door and moved to Mattie's room.

Her little girl.

Her baby.

The most brilliant, devious mind she had ever encountered.

Mattie wasn't just a genius. Even if she hadn't been officially certified a genius by anyone in any authority, the entire family knew that didn't matter.

Mattie was a genius.

But she was also a little girl with a sharp wit and a drive unlike anything Juliet had ever seen.

Nothing was going to stop her baby girl from getting whatever she wanted.

The teen years, Juliet already knew, were going to be rough.

She had Shawn wrapped around her little finger, of course. She had from the moment she was born, when she looked up at her daddy with those bright eyes and that smile that always made his heart flutter.

She was completely different from Will in almost every conceivable way, and yet they clung to each other. Despite occasional attempts to sell her on e-bay, they got along the vast majority of the time.

They were there for each other.

And at that moment, they were all each other had.

Juliet's heart stopped again as the thought struck her like a truck.

Her babies were alone.

Shawn arrived at home a few minutes after her to find the patrolmen ransacking his house, looking for the kids. Juliet hadn't yet gotten a hold of them, though she'd been calling his cell phone every two minutes.

"Jules," he called two steps into the front hallway, pushing past the two uniformed officers without even pausing. "Jules! What's going on?"

Juliet heard him through her desperate thoughts. She quickly closed Mattie's door and ran down the stairs, not stopping until she threw her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder.

For the first time since she'd gotten the note, she actually cried.

She could feel herself sinking to the floor, but his strong arms held her up, holding her so tightly she could barely breathe.

He didn't ask anymore questions.

He just held her, not even flinching as her tears rolled down his neck.

Finally, she could speak again. "Will and Mattie…" she whispered, pulling her head out of his shoulder. "They're gone, Shawn."

Somehow, she would never know how, she managed to sob the entire story to him. He didn't move or respond the entire three minutes it took her to relay everything she knew. He just stood there, silently absorbing everything.

But she could see it in his eyes.

He was slowly dying, just like she was.

He just wouldn't show it.

He couldn't.

His eyes finally closed as she finished, his breath coming in short gasps. She swore she saw a single tear struggling to fall from the corner of his eye, but it never fell.

He slowly opened them again, looking back down at her, his fingers slowly running through her hair. She could feel the tension running taut through his fingertips, and she knew he was straining to hang on.

He was hanging on for her, so she could breakdown if she needed to.

"We're going to find them, Jules," he promised. "I'm not going to let anything happen to my kids."

"Yang--" she choked, shaking her head slowly. "God, Shawn. You know what happened last time…what almost happened. She won't--"

She paused, her own words stabbing her through the heart as they fought to come out.

"She won't care they're just kids."

"I know," Shawn agreed quietly. "But we beat her once. We'll do it again. I promise."

It was a promise he couldn't possibly know he'd keep.

They both knew that.

But it wasn't hollow.

His voice was strong and determined, his eyes blazing and eager to get to work.

Juliet smiled palely, for the first time since that terrible morning feeling the twisted knot in her stomach starting to ease.

They were going to do this.

Together.

* * * *

The car finally came to a stop.

Will had no idea how long they'd been riding, or how long he'd been unconscious. He tried to mentally count the seconds, but his brain kept getting distracted.

Mattie was sobbing quietly beside him…

There was the sound of birds….

Was that a gunshot?

Would he get home in time to watch TurboMonkeys?

Would his dad tape it if he wasn't?

Did his dad even know how to use the Tivo?

When the car did finally come to a slow stop, Will's heart was racing so loudly he could actually hear the sound echoing off whatever was over his head, still obstructing his view.

Somewhere close by, a door opened, and he was suddenly being pulled to his feet. The seconds his shoes hit solid pavement, he dug his heels in, refusing as best as he could to budge.

Not until he knew Mattie was coming, too.

He wasn't going to leave his sister.

"Don't fight me, Boy," a sharp, gravely voice growled. He still couldn't see anything, and he couldn't tell from the rasping whether it was a man or woman, though the rough grip on his shoulder felt like a man.

"Where's Mattie?" Will fired back, not missing a beat. "I'm not going anywhere without my sister."

The voice grunted, pulling the obstruction off of his head. Will blinked into the surprisingly bright light, his eyes trying to adjust to the change.

The garage they were in was dark and sparse, but Will could see the door leading inside what appeared to be a normal house was open.

The captor was a large, burly man with tattooed arms and hair so short Will could see his scalp. In on hand, he was dragging Will by the shoulder. In his other, he was holding Mattie under her arm. She was kicking and writhing to get away, but was too scared to actually say anything. Will could now see both their hands were bound with rope.

"Satisfied?" the man grunted, shoving Will towards the door. "Get your ass in the house."

Will didn't protest this time.

Mattie was okay.

He was okay.

He needed more time to think…

Once they were in the house, the man shut and locked the garage door behind them. He dropped Mattie to her feet, pulling the sack off her head, as well, as he pushed them both through the small kitchen and towards a large, white door.

Will opened his mouth to ask where they were, but thought better of it when the man opened the door, revealing a dark, deep staircase.

"Get down there," the man ordered harshly.

Will stopped at the top of the stairs, peering down into the infinite black below him. "Uh…" he stammered, doing the best he could to stall for time. "I have a slight problem with spiders…I think it's called agoraphobia."

"It's arachnophobia," Mattie corrected him quietly, her hand grasping his as her wide eyes gazed up at him pleadingly. "And you're not an arachnophobia."

"Of course I'm not," Will hissed. "I'm lying! Do you have a better plan?"

"Yes," she shot back. "It involves a time machine."

Will rolled his eyes. "Like a time machine's going to help now."

"It would!" Mattie insisted.

"Shut up!" the man growled, pushing Will down the first step. He stumbled, but managed to keep himself from tumbling down the wooden plank steps.

"Mattie," Will whispered. "I think we'd better go."

"Okay," Mattie agreed, following her brother as he felt his way down the stairs. The walls in the cellar were cold, damp stone that froze his hand, but he couldn't let go.

The walls were all he had now.

As soon as they hit the last step, the door at the top of the stairs slammed shut, killing the only source of light they had.

In the dark, Mattie squeezed his hand.

"I think we're in trouble, Will."


	2. Chapter 2

"One more time, O'Hara," Lassiter growled, pacing around the table in the center of the interrogation room.

Juliet rolled her eyes, her arms crossed over his chest as she followed Carlton with her gaze. Shawn was sitting across the table from her, slumped in his seat.

Uncharacteristically, he hadn't said anything yet.

"You know what happened, Carlton," Juliet snapped impatiently. "We're not suspects. We should be out there looking for our kids!"

She stood up, her chair squeaking as it slid a few inches across the cement floor. Carlton stopped it with his foot, turning it around and pointing at it emphatically. "Sit down," he told her, his voice firm though there was an underlying plea in his eyes. She didn't argue, but took her seat again with a defeated sigh.

"McNab's out there," he reminded her, beginning to circle her and Shawn again. "Hell, O'Hara. I have half the damn force out there looking for your kid. They're going to find them. But you know how Yang works. This is just Round 1 of her sick little game. If we're going to catch her this time, I need to know everything that happened. Everything." He glanced over at Shawn, grunting at the psychic. "Anytime you want to turn those psychic powers on, Spencer, just let me know."

Shawn's eyes flashed as he sat bolt upright again, suddenly at attention. "Maybe I wouldn't need psychic powers if my boss would get his head out of his--"

Lassiter brought his fist down on the table, cutting Shawn off. "Damnit, Spencer!" he shouted. "I'm the one trying to solve this!"

"By telling me I can't find my own kids?" Shawn shot back, standing up and taking a step towards him. "Don't you think I'd trade places with them in a heartbeat if I could?"

"Stop it!" Juliet commanded as she stood up and got between the two men, her voice cutting through both of theirs even though she hadn't raised it. Both men immediately backed down, though they continued to glare at each other. "Shawn," she whispered, lacing her fingers through his and resting her other hand softly on his chest. "Yelling at Carlton isn't going to help. No one's blaming you. He's right. We're not going to do any good looking for them when half the force is already doing that. We have to try to figure out Yang's game this time. She didn't leave a note or directions of any kind. That's weird for her. It's not her M.O. We have to get a step ahead or we'll never catch up."

She sat down again, keeping eye-contact with her husband, who slowly followed suit. She smiled gratefully, if not hollowly. "Yang plans," she pressed on slowly, her mind spinning too many directions to focus in on any one thing for any length of time. "She doesn't do anything without scoping it out first. You have the best mind of anyone I have ever met for details, Shawn. Think. Have you seen anything over the last month or so that's out of the ordinary? Anything at all?"

Shawn sighed, closing his eyes slowly. She watched, her breath held somewhere between her heart and her throat. Even Carlton stopped pacing, his eyes locked on the psychic.

"I don't know," Shawn murmured, shaking his head slightly, his eyes still closed. "I don't see anything…"

"Think," Juliet urged, leaning across the table. "I know you can do it."

Her hand gripped his, and for the first time she could feel how clammy his palms were.

He was sweating.

Badly.

Her fingers gently stroked his, trying to will some kind of peace into his bones.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"What?" she asked, her breath releasing as she realized he had something to lock onto. "What do you remember?"

"I can't be sure," he was shaking his head slowly. "It was that day two weeks ago when Gus ripped his pants. Twice. I was kind of distracted by the mocking…but there was something…I didn't even think about it then…" His eyes closed again, concentration taking over his body as his muscles went rigid in determination. "There was a car."

"What kind of car?" Lassiter jumped in, snatching a pen out of his pocket, ready to write down whatever Shawn said next. "What made you notice it?"

"It had expired tags," Shawn murmured. "And it was purple. And it kind of slowed down as it passed the office when Gus and I were walking out…I thought it was a client at first, but then it drove off again, so I figured it was just some lost tourist."

"It was a slow-moving car with expired tags?" Lassiter groaned, dropping the pen again. "Spencer, that doesn't mean anything!"

"It wasn't just the tags," Shawn told him, opening his eyes again. "I'm remembering it now because of the bumper sticker."

"What bumper sticker?" Lassiter asked.

Shawn looked over at Juliet again, his eyes brimming with suppressed emotion. "It said, 'It's ten o'clock…do you know where your kids are?'. Only, someone had put a line through the first part."

Juliet blinked, suddenly understanding why he was remembering it now. "You mean, it said, 'Do you know where your kids are?'" she asked, her voice hoarse.

Shawn nodded.

Lassiter picked up the pen again. "Do you remember the license plate number?"

"It's not much to go on," Juliet pointed out. "It doesn't mean anything."

"It means we have a lead," Lassiter shot back. "And on a case like this, O'Hara, you have to take whatever lead you can get and just keep praying it's the right one."

* * *

"Will," Mattie whispered after standing still in the darkness for what seemed like a lifetime. She hadn't let go of his hand, though her silent sobbing had subsided.

"What?" Will asked, flinching at the sound of his own voice in the darkness.

"I'm hungry. Daddy was supposed to make us hot dogs for dinner…" she paused, taking a long, shallow breath as she tried to steady herself. Will instinctively gave her hand a tight squeeze. "I really wanted those hot dogs," she murmured, squeezing his hand back.

"Me, too," Will agreed.

"Are we going to get home in time for dinner?" she asked. Even in the pitch black, Will could feel her eyes on him, looking to him for some kind of omniscience he only wished he possessed.

"I don't know," he shook his head. "Mom and Dad have to know we're gone by now."

"And Mommy's the best cop ever," Mattied added. "She'll find us soon. Right?"

"Right," Will nodded firmly.

They fell silent again, visions of their mom and dad bursting through the door at the top of the black staircase, gun literally blazing, flashing through their minds.

It was all going to be okay.

It had to be okay.

But Will knew it wasn't going to happen. He didn't even know where they were. There was no way his parents were going to figure it out.

He had only seen their captor for a few moments. It wasn't enough time to get a read on him.

What did he want?

Why were they being held down here?

Was he making a ransom demand right now?

Would his parents be able to pay it?

Even more than the fear he was feeling, Will was beginning to be overwhelmed by a sense of curiosity.

What the heck was going on?

He was part of something huge, and he didn't have even the slightest idea what it was all about.

He had to know.

He released Mattie's hand, slowly taking a step back towards the staircase.

"Will!" Mattie hissed as soon as she felt him move next to her. "What are you doing? Don't leave me alone!"

"I'm not leaving," he assured her. "I'm just going to go to the top of the stairs and see if I can hear anything. Maybe the door's not even locked."

"It's locked," Mattie told him. "Remember? Didn't you hear the click when the door closed? It's a deadbolt. You won't be able to open it."

"How do you know it's a deadbolt?" Will asked, his brow raising.

Mattie shrugged, though he couldn't see her. "Uncle Gus. He's an expert lock-picker, you know."

"That's not going to do us any good on this side," Will sighed. "You stay here. I'm going to see if I can find out what's going on."

"Be careful," Mattie warned. "Don't do anything Mommy wouldn't do."

"Do I ever?" Will scoffed.

"All the time," Mattie informed him. "If you do something stupid, I'm going to tell on you."

"I'm not going to do anything stupid!"

"You'd better not."

"Shh!" Will hissed. "I'll be fine. Just stay right there. And try not to think about spiders and snakes."

"Oh, thanks," she groused, shifting and peering into the darkness of the cellar around them.

Will ignored her, slowly beginning his ascent up the stairs. Step by step, he felt his away along the damp, cold wall, not daring to touch the rickety railing on the other side.

When he finally felt the wooden door in front of him, he stopped, pressing his ear against it.

"Are you there?" Mattie called up in a loud whisper.

"Shh!" he hissed back. "I'm here."

"Do you hear anything?"

"Mattie! Shut up! I can't--"

But he never got to finish that thought, because at that moment the door whipped open, throwing him off balance. He stumbled backwards, trying to grab anything to hold onto to stop himself from falling.

But it was too late.

He didn't even feel his head crack off the first wooden step.


	3. Chapter 3

"Tuck and roll, Will. Tuck and roll."

The moment Will lost his balance and began to tumble backwards into the infinite black below, which was now pierced by a single patch of light from the door, he could hear his grandfather's voice echoing between his ears.

Even though he had less than a split-second to react, he remembered the lesson well.

"Tuck and roll, Will. Tuck and roll."

Without even realizing he was doing it, Will tucked his head to his chest as it bashed off the first step.

He didn't feel a thing.

He was lost in the echoing words swirling around his mind.

The lesson had been an impromptu one, prompted by his attempt to roller skate off his grandfather's roof. Henry had caught him, of course, seconds before he launched.

"What the hell are you thinking?" he had shouted as he grabbed the boy by the collar and forced him back down the ladder to the firm ground below. "What's the matter with you?"

"I don't know," Will had shrugged, more irritated by his brilliant plan being stopped than grateful for his grandfather saving his life. "Mom asks me that, too. And my teachers…"

His grandfather had just rolled his eyes, of course, grunting as they reached the bottom of the ladder. "You're going to break your neck one these days, Kid," he growled. "If you're going to be jumping off roofs, you at least have to learn how to fall the right way."

"There's a right way to fall?" Will asked, intrigued. The idea had never occurred to him.

"Of course," Henry assured him. "You have to tuck and roll, Will. Tuck and roll."

The next three hours of their lives had been dedicated to teaching Will the right way to fall.

Of course, Will had never thought he'd really it…

Until now.

His chin was tucked into his sternum as his head bounced off the rest of the steps. He couldn't breathe or even think as he tumbled head over heels to the hard, cold floor at the bottom.

He landed flat on his back, groaning as the final impact knocked the wind out of him. He lay, silently gasping for air as Mattie looked down at him, able to see him by the light coming from the top of the stairs.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

At first, Will didn't understand why she was whispering, until he heard the footsteps on the stairs.

Then it made sense.

They weren't alone.

The man was back.

"I'm okay," he gasped, finally managing to inhale as he slowly stumbled back to his feet.

Even then, he knew he was lying.

He reached up and delicately felt his throbbing head, but it wasn't bleeding. Tucking it like his grandfather had shown him had managed to protect it from a fracture, at least, as well as preventing a broken neck…

But there was something wrong.

He had never had a headache before like this in his life.

But he couldn't worry about that now.

He had to take care of Mattie.

"What the hell is going on?" the man was shouting as he stormed down the stairs. Will stepped between him and Mattie, blinking back the double vision he was suddenly suffering from as he tried to force his eyes to focus.

"Nothing!" he insisted weakly. "I was just--"

"You're damn lucky all you got was a knock on the head, Kid," the man spat, not even letting Will finish his thought. "I've been nice so far. Don't make me get nasty. Just stay down here until I get the money, and there won't be any problems. You clear?"

He pulled a gun out that had been jammed into the back of his pants. "If you make trouble, I'm not going to have a choice," he intoned, pointing the gun at Mattie. "I'm gonna have to get rid of you. Both of you."

Will stood up to his full height, pushing Mattie further behind him. "Leave her alone," he ordered as commandingly as he could. "I was just trying to find out what's going on. Why won't you let us go? We won't tell anyone what I happened. I promise. We just want to go home."

He could feel the earth starting to sway under his feet as the man glared down at him, shifting the gun so it was pointing at his temple.

God, with the headache he had now, he almost wished the guy would pull the trigger.

"You're not going anywhere, Kid," the man snarled. "Not until I get my money, or I get sick of your face. You'd better pray the first one happens before the second one."

Will didn't even flinch, though he could hear Mattie gasp quietly behind him.

"You can let Mattie go," he said quietly, anchoring his feet to keep from keeling over. "You don't need us both. Let her go. My parents won't pay anything for her, anyway. They like me more."

"They do not!" Mattie shot back, insulted. "I'm not the one who colored all over the wall with permanent marker."

"It's called a mural," Will informed her. "And someday it'll be worth a lot of money when I'm famous."

"Yeah, right," Mattie snorted.

"It will!"

"Shut up!" the man shouted, waving the gun almost frantically through the air. "Good God, you two are giving me a headache."

"Join the club," Will murmured, massaging his temple delicately.

It wasn't doing any good.

"Just stay down here and shut the hell up," the man snapped, heading back up the stairs. "And for God's sake, don't make me shoot you."

The light turned off, and once again they were alone.

"Will," Mattie whispered, her hand grasping his in the dark.

"What?"

"You know they don't like you better, right?"

"Yeah," Will smiled palely, wincing as a wave of nausea hit him. "I know."

* * *

1. Chapter 12. Chapter 23. Chapter 34. Chapter 45. Chapter 56. Chapter 67. Chapter 78. Chapter 8

They sat alone as Lassiter ran the license plates Shawn had seen, the air between them thick with unanswered questions and unspoken fears.

Juliet moved her chair closer to his, needing to feel him close to her.

In that moment, all they had was each other.

Shawn's eyes, which had been closed, opened the moment her finger gently stroked his cheek. He smiled at her, trying to look like he always looked.

At ease.

Carefree.

But she wasn't falling for it.

He managed to keep the grin up for an entire minute before it finally faded away under her gaze.

"It's a dead-end, Jules," he murmured, his fingers playing with the seam in his pants. She moved her chair closer still, so near him now she could hear his heart racing. "The plates, I mean."

"I know," she agreed, her hand resting on his knee. "Yang's too smart to be that stupid."

Shawn nodded stiffly, his eyes shutting again as he slid down further in his seat. "I keep going over it in my head," he groaned. "I can't get a reading on it. Why is she going after them? What does she want this time? She didn't leave any clues or directions…I just don't know what the game is."

"I think that is the game," Juliet sighed heavily. "We're not supposed to know."

"No," Shawn shook his head, one eye opening again. "That's not how Yang works. We're supposed to know…just not in time. We're supposed to always be just one step behind. Except, this time, I can't even find the first step."

He leaned forward, resting his forehead on hers, his fingers slowly running through her hair. She could feel his warm, hesitant breath on her face as he exhaled almost painfully.

"I've been here before," he whispered, his lips by her ears as his hand grasped her arm, almost like he was clinging to a life preserver. "Last time…when she had my mom."

"I know," Juliet whispered back, her hand lifting from his knee and resting on his bicep. "I remember."

His breathing was ragged and uneven, and she realized with some surprise that hers wasn't any better.

It had been a few hours by this point, and they didn't have a single damn lead.

Time was running out.

"I didn't save her, Jules," Shawn was saying now, his voice hollow and distant as he relived that night twelve years ago all over again.

For anyone else, that would have just been a metaphor…but with his memory, Juliet knew he was literally reliving it.

Every sight, every sound, every emotion was just as vivid in his mind as it had been that night.

"It was just luck," he continued. "Sheer, dumb luck. I don't think…I don't know if I can be that lucky again."

"You can," she assured him, somehow finding a reserve of strength she didn't know she had.

She never knew she had it until she needed it.

She had already broken down once. It was Shawn's turn, if he needed it.

He didn't cry or shout or scream or curse. He just sat with his eyes closed in deep concentration, his fingers running over her face and through her hair as if he was trying to memorize every pore.

"She's under my skin, Jules," he groaned. "I can't think straight. I can't even think crooked or curved or zig-zag. I just keep seeing them…strapped to a bomb like my mom was…"

She laced her fingers at the back of his neck, pulling his forehead deeper into hers. "I know."

For a long moment, nothing else needed to be said.

Until they had their kids back, safe and sound, nothing that could be said mattered.

Suddenly, Shawn's cell phone, which he had left lying on the interrogation room table, started to vibrate, indicating he had a text.

Juliet sat up as he grabbed it instinctively, blinking down at the screen as if it was a foreign object.

"Who is it?" Juliet asked flatly, not giving a damn unless it was someone telling her Will and Mattie were home.

For a long moment, Shawn didn't answer.

He just stared at the screen, his face growing paler by the moment.

Juliet snatched it away from him, suddenly realizing.

This was it.

Yang.

She pried the phone from his fingers with surprisingly little effort, but it didn't do her any good at first.

It was just a picture message. It looked like a grainy photo taken with a poor-quality cell phone camera. There weren't even any words.

Even the picture wasn't anything particularly revealing or interesting, as far as she could tell. Certainly nothing that meant anything about Yang. It was just a dark picture of an old, white house with a truck in the driveway.

Juliet blinked slowly, looking down at it again.

She gasped when she realized what she was looking out.

The house wasn't any old house.

It was Henry's.

* * *

Never, Will decided firmly as another jolt of agony nearly drove him to his knees.

Never in all his life had he ever been in this much pain…except maybe the time he had been grounded for a week.

He groaned, clenching his eyes shut as he fought against the pain.

It was getting worse by the minute.

He could feel the bile surging up from his stomach, but he managed to hold it back, at least for the time being.

"Will," Mattie whispered from somewhere in the dark next to him. "Are you seeing double?"

"I can't see anything," he growled through clenched teeth. "It's pitch black in here."

"I know," Mattie agreed quietly. "But, before. When the scary man opened the door. Were you seeing double?"

Will tried to think back, but his brain was too scrambled to even remember that far back.

How long ago had it been….?

Two years?

Seven?

A minute?

"I don't know," he grunted, his nails digging into his own thigh. "I can't remember."

"Does your head hurt?"

"Yes, it hurts!"

He sank to his knees, pressing his forehead into the cold, hard floor. It wasn't much relief, but it seemed to help for the moment.

Mattie didn't say anything, though Will could tell she was thinking.

She always got extra quiet when she was thinking.

"We have to get out of here," she whispered. "I think you have a concussion."


	4. Chapter 4

Henry was working in the garage when Shawn and Juliet pulled into the driveway. The garage door was wide open, the otherwise quiet afternoon air shattered by the ear-piercing sound of his circular saw.

"Dad!" Shawn shouted as he jumped out of the car and started to jog up the driveway. His father's back was to him, so Henry didn't hear the greeting.

Shawn pretended it was because of the saw, but they both knew the truth.

Henry had lost most of the hearing in his left ear five years ago, slowly and gradually. He stubbornly refused to admit he couldn't hear, however, so he had never gotten a hearing aid or even asked anyone to repeat what they had just said. In a very short time, he'd become a master lip-reader.

Not that Shawn could ever tell him he knew all of this, of course.

He had to pretend it was the saw.

Henry didn't even hear them approaching until Shawn tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped, whirling around as he turned off the saw.

"Shawn," he blinked, taking off the superfluous ear protection. "What--?"

He stopped his question when he saw the looks on their faces.

Shawn's hand lingered on his shoulder for a moment, longer than he intended.

He'd let his father down before, but never like this.

When he was a kid, he lost things all the time.

Keys.

His wallet.

Lizards.

But he'd never lost his own kids before.

When Shawn didn't answer the unasked question, Henry turned his gaze to Juliet, who was standing slightly behind him. "What's going on?" he demanded quietly, dropping the saw to the floor.

"It's Will and Mattie," she told him quickly, trying to get it all out in one breath so she wouldn't have to relive it a moment longer than absolutely necessary. "They never made it home from school. It's Yang, Henry. She's back. And this is the only message we have."

She held up Shawn's phone, showing him the picture of his house. Henry squinted at it, his brow etched with confusion.

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked, wiping his hands off on his pants as he slowly turned towards the door to the house.

"We don't know," Juliet shook her head. "You could be the next target, or you could be a clue."

Henry nodded, turning his back to them.

He was staying calm, but Shawn could read his rigid muscles from a mile away.

The man was on the verge of freaking out.

He walked purposefully into the house, followed shortly by Shawn and Juliet.

As soon as the garage door behind all of them once they were in the kitchen, however, Henry turned on them.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded, everything coming pouring out of him all at once. "What does that psycho want with them?"

"We don't know," Juliet cut-in before Shawn could. Her voice was calm and even, the tone of a true professional. "We don't know anything, Henry. That picture is the first clue we've had since they've gone missing."

Henry's eyes narrowed. "Is Lassiter--?"

"He's on it, Dad," Shawn assured him. "He's doing it by the book. Don't worry. We don't need him now. We need you. Do you have any idea why Yang would want to get you involved?"

Henry thought for a long moment, shaking his head slowly. "I was on the case the first time," he said quietly. "But I didn't beat her that time. No one could beat her." He looked up again, his eyes meeting Shawn's. "No one until you," he added with a grim-sounding pride.

Shawn sighed, pushing past his father into the living room. "Great," he groaned. "The one time you admit I did something right, and it gets my kids kidnapped. That just per--"

He stopped dead in his tracks two steps into the living room. Henry and Juliet immediately followed him in, also stopping dead when they saw what Shawn saw.

Across the far living room wall, someone had scrawled something in what looked like green crayon. The sickening letters burst off the white backdrop like a ninja sneak attack.

THE GAME BEGINS AGAIN.

Underneath the words, which stretched the entire length of the wall, two backpacks had been nailed to the wall.

They all immediately knew they were Will and Mattie's.

For a long moment, none of them spoke.

There wasn't anything to say.

They just stared, their first clue nothing less than a kick in the gut for all of them, but especially for Henry.

Shawn watched his father out of the corner of his eyes, knowing exactly what was going on in his mind.

He had been in the garage when this happened.

Yang had been in his damn house, and he didn't know it.

He couldn't hear it.

What was worse was that Yang knew he couldn't hear it.

She had chosen his house for the first clue just for that reason.

Henry's fists began to clench as he stalked across the room, ripping Will's backpack down off the wall.

"Henry!" Juliet called, moving forward to stop him. "It's a crime scene! You can't--!"

"It 's not a damn crime scene!" Henry snapped back, tearing the bag open and dumping the contents on the floor. "It's my house!"

There wasn't anything particularly noteworthy in Will's bag. Just a few notebooks and some comic books and a half-eaten lunch. Henry kicked the objects aside, tearing Mattie's bag down next.

This time, no one tried to stop him.

As he dumped her school books out on the floor, another object fell out and landed on top of them.

It was a digital timer, counting down the seconds quickly.

According to the timer, there were only twenty-three hours left.

The only question was…twenty-three hours until what?

Henry knelt by the timer¸ his breath catching as he watched the time rapidly moving backwards, screaming towards zero.

He looked back up at them, nodding grimly. "There's our timeline."

* * *

He couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

In the dark, he knew Mattie couldn't see them rolling down his face as he huddled on the floor, clutching his head in his hands, but he also knew she could hear the stifled sobs breaking through his fingers.

He never cried.

It wasn't that he was too tough or anything like that. It just wasn't something he did. He'd never been in this much pain before, and nothing on earth could ever upset him enough to make him cry.

Except, apparently, for agonizing pain.

It was as if someone was inside his head, burrowing through his skull with a dull spoon. The pressure was behind his eyes now, making them feel like they were swelling to the point there were going to burst out of his head.

Mattie moved silently next to him, feeling her way in the black room. "It's okay, Will," she whispered, kneeling next to him, fumbling to put her arm around his shoulder. "Mommy and Daddy are going to be here soon."

Will opened his mouth to answer her, to tell her they weren't coming.

No one was coming.

They were alone.

But before he could say anything, the bile that had been building up in his throat was finally unleashed, spilling all over the floor. The smell immediately hit their noses, but they both ignored it. Will barely noticed. He couldn't even think straight over the pounding in his head.

It was still getting worse, even though it didn't seem possible.

He curled up on the floor, pulling his knees to his chest as he squeezed his eyes even tighter. Mattie felt him move and immediately figured out what he was doing.

"You have to stay awake," she told him. "Uncle Gus said when you have a head injury, you have to stay awake."

"I'm awake," Will groaned, though he could already feel himself spiraling towards something like sleep, though it wasn't peaceful or relaxing. "I'm awake."

"Then, sit up!" she pleaded, tugging on his shirt, desperation creeping into her bones for the first time.

"I can't," he mumbled, not resisting her yanks but not complying with them, either.

"Will!" she actually screamed, tears starting to sting her eyes. "Will! Come on! This isn't funny! Get up!"

"I can't…"

"You have to!" she demanded, her voice screeching slightly as a cold chill ran down her spine.

For the first time in her entire life, she felt completely alone.

"Will! You can't leave me alone!" she sobbed. "You can't leave me alone!"

Will didn't answer.

* * *

Shawn slowly took the timer from his father, staring down at the defiant digital numbers with wide eyes.

"Well, we found the first step," he murmured. "But we're still three behind. I don't even know where to start looking for step two."

"Sure you do," Henry grunted, standing back up. "Don't turn your brain off now, Kid. You need it."

"I'm not turning my brain off!" Shawn snapped, his fingers closing around the device as if he might hurl it against a wall. "Damn it, Dad! I don't need a lecture! I need to find my kids!"

"You're going to find them, Shawn," Henry told him sternly, more of a directive than a reassurance. "But you're not getting anywhere running around like an idiot. Sit down for two seconds and just breathe."

"I don't need to breathe," Shawn rebutted, trying to elbow past his father, but Henry grabbed his shoulder and gently but firmly sat him down on the couch.

"Think," he commanded. "Think about everything that's happened today and what it means."

Juliet came alongside Henry, her eyes fixed on her husband.

Shawn groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "My kids are gone…Yang grabbed them after school…then, apparently, she--"

He stopped there, sitting back up. Henry was already nodding along with him.

"Yang couldn't have done both," Shawn said slowly, his eyes widening even more as his brain started tortuously turning the problem over. "She couldn't have grabbed the kids by herself and then gotten over here to set this up while you were in the garage not being deaf. There's no way she could have had time to do both…she can't be working alone this time." He paused, groaning again with the dawning realization. "Oh, God. Yang found a Ying. At least one Ying. Maybe a whole little Ying family with little baby Yinglings--"

He stopped himself from going any further.

As it turned out, he didn't have to go any further.

His phone vibrated again, indicating yet another new message.

He almost didn't have the courage to look at it, but he knew he didn't have a choice.

This one was short, only six words total.

THE PARK.

ONE HOUR.

COME ALONE.


	5. Chapter 5

Will wouldn't wake up.

Mattie knew she shouldn't move him, but she couldn't help tapping his forehead and pulling on his sleeves for at least five minutes, trying to rouse him.

Nothing worked.

He was still breathing, slowly and deeply, but he was completely unconscious.

Suddenly, the light at the top of the stairs appeared again. She looked up from where she was squatting next to Will, only to see the big, mean man in the doorway at the top of the stairs. This time, he wasn't alone. There was a woman with him.

She was old, Mattie noticed first, but she didn't look old. She was wearing a lot of make-up, just like Mommy has always told her she wasn't allowed to do.

She was also frowning and yelling at the mean man, who suddenly didn't seem so mean.

"What the hell do you mean the kid fell down the stairs?" she was snapping, her voice high and feverish. Mattie instinctively scooted back against the cellar wall as they clomped loudly down the steps.

"I dunno," the man was shrugging. "He was trying to get out or something. He fell."

They had reached the bottom of the stairs now, and were standing over Will, who still hadn't moved. Neither of them seemed to notice Mattie, which was just fine with her.

She was looking at Will.

For the first time, she could see him clearly.

His face was pale and swollen from the fall, and his eyes were clenched shut.

The woman prodded him gently with her foot, still yelling at the man. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" she asked, her voice suddenly quieter.

Somehow, that made it even scarier.

"I didn't do anything," the man protested. "I did what you told me."

"I can't go with the original plan now," she pressed on, her eyes dark and determined. Mattie felt her pulse quickening as the anger in the woman' voice faded into an almost musical lilt, the plans changing and re-forming so quickly in her mind Mattie couldn't help but be a little impressed.

Even Grandpa and Daddy and Mommy couldn't think that fast.

"What are you going to do?" the man asked.

The woman sniffed, stepping over Will and back to the stairs. "What you always do in a grand performance," she smiled coldly, her eyes falling on Mattie. "Ad-lib. Get him and bring him upstairs."

The man bent down to pick up Will's limp but breathing body.

"No!" Mattie shouted, springing forward, suddenly forgetting she was scared. "Leave him alone!"

The woman stopped, her foot in mid-air on the way to the first step. Her smile grew slightly larger as she turned back to Mattie.

"He needs help," Mattie whispered, her eyes growing large in terror. "He needs a doctor."

The woman looked around the small cellar. "I don't see any doctors down here," she pointed out. "Do you want your brother to have help or not?"

Mattie nodded vigorously.

"Then, you're just going to have trust me, aren't you?"

"No," Mattie retorted, her hands starting to tremble. "You're a bad, bad person. My Mommy's going to throw you in jail!"

The woman's smile faded as she squatted next to the little girl. "Let me tell you a secret," she whispered, her ears close to Mattie's ear.

"What?" Mattie whispered back.

"She already did."

The woman stood back up before Mattie could respond beyond a small gasp.

"Don't worry about your brother," she pressed on, motioning for the man to pick up Will and follow her. "He's not the one you should be worried about."

Mattie watched helplessly as they took her brother up the stairs and once again shut the door and turned off the light.

This time, she was really, truly alone.

* * *

"You're not going, Shawn," Henry told him sharply, already reading his son's mind as he looked down at the text message. "Don't even think about it. Not without back-up, or at least a wire."

"I'm not wearing a wire!" Shawn shot back.

"Shawn, he's right," Juliet said quietly, sitting next to him on the couch, her hand gently squeezing his knee. "It's a trap."

"I don't care," Shawn shook his head firmly. "If that's what it takes to get Will and Mattie back, I don't care."

He stood up, turning so he was facing them both. "The game's not over yet," he told them, feeling much less confident than the words sounded. "It's only round one. She's not going to set a trap this early. She doesn't have to. She knows damn well she could just say it's a trap and I'd still go. She doesn't have to be coy about it."

He looked at his father, a defiant glint in his eyes. "Come on, Dad," he grinned. "You can't tell me you wouldn't do the same thing.

Henry sighed, looking over at Juliet. "At least give him your gun," he murmured.

"I don't need it," Shawn interjected. "If she set a trap, it won't do me any good. And she might use it as an excuse to do something…" he paused, the thought too terrible to articulate. "I'm not going to risk it."

Henry nodded slowly, but he couldn't argue.

The kid was a father.

It's what any father would do.

"Don't do anything stupid," he ordered, resting on hand on Shawn's shoulder, his fingers curling slightly as if he was trying to hold for just one more minute.

Shawn laughed. "Do I ever?"

"Yes."

He stopped laughing. "I won't," he promised quietly.

He glanced over at Juliet next, grinning as he quirked an eyebrow at her. "Anything you need to get off your chest?" he teased playfully, trying to keep the moment light. "Please say it's your shirt."

She rolled her eyes, trying to smile as she lightly trailed her fingers down his chest, meeting his gaze meaningfully. "You're an idiot," she murmured.

"I know."

"I love you."

"I kinda figured that one out," he laughed, kissing her. "I'm psychic, you know."

She inhaled slowly, closing her eyes as she did her best to remember everything about him in this moment. "Just come back. Okay?"

"I will," he promised, burying his nose in her hair. "You can't get rid of me this easily. Don't worry."

And then, he was gone.

* * *

Shawn didn't know what to expect when he arrived at the park.

With Yang, there could have been anything from a string of dead bodies to a birthday cake waiting for him. There just wasn't any way to know for sure.

He went alone, just like the text said. He had considered briefly actually taking a circuitous route just to make sure his father didn't try to follow him, but he decided in the end that he didn't have to take the precaution.

Whether he would ever admit it or not, his father trusted him. He didn't have a choice this time.

The park was abandoned and over-grown, flung to one of the far corners of Santa Barbara and all but forgotten by everyone except the occasional office worker who would walk through it on their lunch break. Shawn didn't know what else to do, so he found a bench along the path and sat down, waiting for something to happen.

He had no idea what.

As it turned out, he didn't have long to wait to find out.

A woman sat down on the bench next to him less than three minutes later.

Shawn recognized her immediately.

She had aged badly over the last twelve years, the gallons of make-up she was wearing not able to cover the deeply-set lines in her face. Her eyes were sallow though full of a wicked pleasure as she smiled at her quarry.

"You came," she gushed as she turned so she was fully facing him. "Not that I'm surprised. I knew you'd come…but I am a little disappointed you didn't bring back-up. What did you do? Knock your father unconscious?"

"Don't worry about it," Shawn shrugged.

Yang mirrored the gesture, running her fingers through her long, scraggily hair. "How is your beautiful wife?" she asked brightly.

Shawn winced, but managed to recover before it showed. "Leave Jules out of this," he warned. "I'm the one you want."

"Of course you are," Yang smiled, gently patting his hand. "You know that. It's always been me and you."

Shawn could feel his pulse quickening as her cold touch sent a shiver down his spine.

It took a lot for Shawn Spencer to hate someone. Hell, it took a lot for him to not even like someone. But he hated this woman.

He hated her for the last time twelve years ago, for what she had almost done to his mother then.

What she'd done to him.

What he had almost missed with Jules because of it.

He hated the smug smile she had on her face now, knowing she had him right she wanted him.

But mostly, he hated every fiber of her being for what she was doing to his kids right now.

"Where are they?" he demanded quietly, finally pulling away from her bony fingers. "I don't know if you noticed, but this isn't exactly a date. It's more like a hostage situation. And you only need one hostage here, so you might as well let my kids go. You have me."

"Oh, Shawn," she laughed. "Did you really think it was that easy?"

"No," he admitted dryly. "With you, there's always another level of crazy."

"If I'm crazy," she challenged lightly. "Why am I the one who knows where your children are?"

For once in his life, he didn't have a witty retort.

He didn't have anything at all to say.

He was completely void of everything.

"Just tell me where they are."

He tried not to sound like he was pleading, to at least salvage something of his dignity, but it didn't matter anymore.

Yang just laughed, settling back onto the bench, gazing out over the overgrown bushes that lined the park.

"Soon," she murmured. "That's for Act II."

"Act II?"

Yang nodded slowly, her grin spreading. "Don't you love sequels?" she asked breathlessly. "They're like a second chance to fill in plot holes. A second chance to end the story the right way."

"Usually, they're just a waste of money," Shawn shot back.

Yang looked over at him again, her eyes brimming. "Not if you do them right."

She stood up, her hand gliding over his shoulder as she walked away. "Just stay here for a little while," she murmured. "Enjoy the park. I'm sure you'll find something to amuse yourself with. I'll talk to you later."

Shawn didn't make a move to stop her from leaving.

She got about thirty steps up the path before she turned around again, smiling as she tossed a small object to him.

"What--?" he started to ask, looking down at it as he caught it.

"It's the detonator I could have set off," she explained. "The bomb is strapped underneath the bench. Have a good day, Shawn."

She was gone before he could respond.

He stared down at the detonator in his trembling hands, still no closer to getting his kids back than he had been five minutes ago.

And he hadn't seen the bomb.

God, she was in his head.

He hadn't even noticed he was sitting on a bomb.

He stood up slowly, his eyes sweeping the park. She had told him to stay…that he'd find something…there must be a clue somewhere…

He took a few tentative steps up the path, the same direction she had left in.

That's when he saw it.

Sticking out of the bushes that lined the path, just enough to be barely visible in the foliage, was a small shoe.

His heart in his throat, he ran over to it.

It was Will.

The boy was lying in the bushes, pale and unconscious.

"Will," Shawn whispered as he knelt over his son, not sure if he had been drugged or knocked out. "Will. Come on, Buddy. Wake up."

He gently pat Will's cheek, but it was cool and clammy to the touch.

Shawn groaned, his head swarming as he pulled out his phone. "Jules," he spoke almost before his wife answered. "Get an ambulance to the park. Now."


	6. Chapter 6

_Just a quick note for the person who wanted Lassie to be nicer....please trust me. Awesome Lassie stuff coming up. Give it a chance to get there. No worries! :-)_

Gus and Lassiter arrived at the hospital at the same moment, descending on Shawn and Juliet, who were sitting side-by-side in the small waiting room chairs as they waited for word about Will, like two pissed-off tornadoes.

"O'Hara!" Lassiter shouted first. "What the hell were you thinking? You sent Spencer in without even _telling _me? We could have set-up a sting!"

"Shawn!" Gus chimed in, equally furious as his eyes narrowed petulantly at his best friend. "You didn't even _tell _me what was going on? I'm their godfather! I could have helped!"

Shawn and Juliet looked at each other, sighing as they stood up in unison.

"Carlton," Juliet began, knowing it fell to her to placate the Chief. "We couldn't risk it. The text said to come alone."

"You breeched protocol!" Lassiter snapped back. "Not to mention Spencer had Yang right there and he let her walk away!"

Juliet's eyes grew cold and stern as she stared her boss in the face, her jaw setting. "Do you think this can wait until my son wakes up?" she demanded quietly

Lassiter's mouth snapped shut, his ears tingeing pink in embarrassment as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

The four of them sat in the chairs, their eyes all flitting from one person to another until Gus finally broke the tense silence. "How's he doing?" he asked, his previous ire all but gone now. "What did the doctors say?"

Shawn shrugged, leaning back in his chair and gazing up at the ceiling. "He hit his head…they're not sure how. There was a lot of pressure on his brain. They're doing what they can to relieve it now, but we won't know anything for sure for at least a few hours."

"You found him in the park?" Lassiter spoke up. "What about the other one? The smart one."

Juliet glared. "What did I tell you about calling her that?" she snapped. "Will's smart, too."

Lassiter scowled, slumping a little more in his chair. "The girl," he corrected himself, his voice more gentle now. "Mattie. Any sign of her?"

"No," Juliet shook her head. "I have patrol combing the park, but so far, nothing."

"Then, the game's not over," Lassiter murmured, standing back up. "Those plates Spencer remembered were a dead-end. They were stolen off a blue SUV two weeks ago. Whatever car they were on when Spencer saw them wasn't the car they belonged to. If it was Yang, she probably dumped them by now. I put an APB out on them, but I'm not holding my breath."

He looked back at Juliet and Shawn as he made his way back for the door. "I'm going to find your kid," he promised quietly before leaving.

Juliet sighed, standing up. "I'm going to go look for your dad," she told Shawn, her voice weary.

"He's fine," Shawn shrugged. "He's probably just off harassing the doctors or being snuck up on by marching bands."

Juliet laughed, squeezing his shoulder. "I know," she murmured. "I just have to do something_. _I'll be back in a minute."

"I'll stay here," Shawn promised.

As soon as Juliet was out of sight, he turned to his best friend. "I should have called," he mumbled.

Gus nodded, taking that as an apology even though it wasn't technically one. "Don't worry about it. How are you doing?"

Shawn shrugged, for the first time letting his shoulder sag. "She could've blown my ass sky-high," he confessed. "I was strapped to a bomb and I didn't even know it, Gus. I'm slipping."

"You were _what?_" Gus gasped, his eyes wide. "Does Juliet know?"

"Of course not," Shawn scoffed. "I'm not a complete idiot."

"What does Yang want?" Gus asked. "Did she say anything that wasn't completely insane?"

"Does she ever?" Shawn sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't know what she wants, Gus. She wants to make my life a living hell. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine."

Gus nodded. "Tell me what you need," he said. "You know I'm here. It's been a while since I've had to break out my Michael Jackson impression to cover for you."

"I know," Shawn laughed. "But I don't think I need Michael this time. Thanks." He sat up, his eyes darting around the waiting room, but there was no one else around. "I need you stay here with my dad," he said, his voice dropping to a low, urgent whisper. "Jules is going to want to stay with Will after he wakes up, but I think Yang's going after her next. I can't…" he hesitated before pressing on. "We can't stay. We have to find Mattie," he pressed on finally, once the words were coming again . "I know there's more coming. There's always a second act, but Yang can't hit my whole family at once if we're not all in the same place. I don't know what else to do. I'll watch Jules, but I need someone to stay here and make sure nothing happens to Will."

Gus nodded. "I'll stay. Once Will wakes up, you guys go find Mattie."

"You might have to kick some ass," Shawn grinned, patting his friend on the back. "Think you can handle it?"

Gus nodded solemnly. "For Will, I'll kick ass. Even if his dad's a non-calling idiot."

* * *

Mattie sat at the bottom of the stairs, too afraid to move for a long time.

She could hear the voices through the door for a few minutes, but they soon faded and she knew was alone again.

In the darkness, she couldn't really be sure if she was crying, but she was pretty sure she was.

Why? she asked herself suddenly, the sniffling stopping as the thought hit her.

Why should she be crying?

What was crying going to do?

Mommy and Daddy weren't going to find her because she was crying.

She stood up slowly, her knees still feeling slightly like jell-o.

She couldn't just sit there and wait.

She had to do _something._

She nodded firmly, feeling her braids bobbing up and down in determination as a plan slowly started to form in her mind.

Yes, she decided.

Mattie Spencer was going to get out of there no matter what.

It took her perhaps twenty minutes to make a list of all her assets.

She was smart.

She was cute as a button, of course.

She had a photographic memory.

Of course, none of those were going to do her any good now. In fact, as far as Mattie could tell, there was only one tool at her disposal that was going to get her out of this one alive.

Screaming her head off.

From extensive personal research, mostly conducted before her mother sat her down and explained to her exactly why screaming was not going to get her the ice cream cone she wanted but it might get her a swat on the fanny if she didn't knock it off, she had discovered the optimum pitch, tone, frequency and volume for maximum annoyance.

Will had helped a little.

Closing her eyes tightly, she opened her mouth and let loose the loudest, most ear-piercing scream she had ever screamed in her entire life. One that would have made Will proud, and also cover his ears.

She couldn't be sure it would work, but it was all she could come up with. She knew she wasn't in a sound proof room, as she could occasionally hear voices from upstairs and the man had heard Will on the stairs before. Maybe there would be someone nearby who would hear…

Or, at the very least, maybe she could annoy the big, mean man.

It took several minutes of sustained screaming before he finally appeared at the top of the stairs, looking more than a little irritated as he turned the light on.

"What the hell--?" he started demand, but Mattie didn't stop screaming long enough to let him get the rest out. She didn't even stop to breathe.

She hadn't breathed in hours, anyway.

"What are you doing?" the man shouted, stomping angrily down the stairs, leaving the door slightly ajar at the top. "What the hell is the matter with you?" He glanced nervously back up the stairs, clearly looking for the old, mean woman who had been there before. "If she comes back, she's not going to be happy if you're--"

"I want my Mommy!" Mattie screamed, finally pausing to take a breath. "I want my Daddy!"

She continued to scream at the top of her lungs until the man put his hands over his ears, lunging at her.

"Shut up!"

As he lunged, he stumbled. It wasn't much, but it was enough for Mattie to dart around him and run for the stairs.

This was her one chance.

She had to get to the door.

She had to get out of there.

The man had already recovered and was coming after her. She could hear his feet on the stairs behind her, getting closer and closer…

But the door was right there…

Right there…

* * *

Shawn and Juliet sat on the bench in the park, the same one Shawn had sat on with Yang earlier that day.

It was dark now, and had been for hours.

It was the first time their little girl had ever been out after dark.

They tried not to think about it, but they both knew it was the only thing that would be on their minds.

Juliet glanced over at her husband, whose eyes were staring vacantly at the dark ground a few feet in front of the bench. "Your dad and Gus both said they'd call if anything happens with Will," she said, trying to sound reassuring even though she couldn't be sure it was Shawn who needed the assurance.

"I know," Shawn nodded. "He'll be ok. The doctors said…"

He stopped there, letting the words trail off into the night. They had both been there when the doctors had said Will was going to wake up and he was going to be okay. There hadn't been any permanent brain damage as far as they could tell, though they wouldn't know until he woke up whether or not he would lose some motor activity.

But he was alive.

Right now, that was all that mattered.

The rest they could deal with tomorrow.

"We're doing the right thing, right?" Juliet asked quietly. "Not being there? I want to be there, Shawn."

"I know," Shawn murmured, putting his arm around her as she buried her head in his shoulder. "I want to be there, too. But I know Yang, Jules. It's a distraction."

"Then, it's a damn good one," Juliet snapped. "Because I am totally distracted."

"Me, too," Shawn admitted. "But I keep thinking there has to be a reason she chose this park. There has to be another clue around somewhere."

"What clue?" Juliet asked. "Shawn, the crime scene unit and the bomb squad went over the place this afternoon. Besides the bomb you were sitting on you didn't tell me about," she paused here for emphasis, glaring at him. "There's nothing here. It's abandoned."

"Exactly," Shawn agreed. "She said there was going to be an Act II, but she didn't say anything about changing the setting. Whatever she has planned next has to involve this park somehow."

He stood up, his eyes sweeping the place over. In the dark, it was difficult to see anything. Juliet followed, slowly standing up herself, linking her arm through his. In her other hand, she turned on the flashlight she was carrying.

"Let's look around," she shrugged. "If your instincts say there's something here, there must be."

Shawn grinned. "I do have good instincts."

"Of course you do," she snorted, patting his chest as she pressed ahead on the now well-worn path through the park. "You married me."

Shawn couldn't disagree with that.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, their fingers occasionally meeting in the darkness, until they came upon a small, ramshackle shed. It was collapsing and the paint was peeling, but for some reason Shawn stopped when he saw it.

"It's an old caretaker shed," Juliet told him, reading his mind as he stopped in front of it. "Carlton told me about it when he called. He said they checked it out. There's nothing there."

Shawn nodded, but he didn't move further up the path. He was frozen in place, his eyes locked on the door.

"Shawn?" Juliet asked, turning back around from where she was a few steps ahead of him. "What is it?"

Slowly, he reached up and pushed the door open, the rust hinge squeaking as it almost seemed to fall off.

A note with a Ying-Yang symbol had been stuck to the door. Below it was Mattie's jacket.

He reached up and pulled the note down, slowly opening it. Juliet was by his side in an instant, aiming the light at the bold, red words.

DETECTIVE SPENCER-

HOW FAST CAN YOU COUNT TO A MILLION?


	7. Chapter 7

"Mom?"

As his eyes fluttered open, Will could hear his voice squeaking pitifully even though he wasn't one hundred percent sure he was actually the one talking.

"Mom?" he tried again, a heavy fog over his eyes still obscuring his view of the dark room around him.

His head was pounding still, but somehow this pain was different. Not better exactly, but somehow not as bad.

Suddenly, there was movement in the dark room. As the fog slowly lifted, Will could make out a familiar face standing over the bed he was somehow laying in.

Where was he….?

How had he gotten there…?

The last thing he remembered was Mattie asking him if he was seeing double…

Mattie.

He groaned, struggling to move as the thought overtook him.

Where was Mattie?

Strong but surprisingly gentle hands were holding him down, stopping him from sitting up. His eyes were clenched as he thrashed, trying to find to find his little sister.

"Mattie---!"

"Knock it off," a gruff voice above him ordered sternly. "You're going to hurt yourself."

The order should have scared him. It should have made him fight harder to get free of the hands that were holding him down, but for some reason the voice calmed him. He stopped struggling and allowed himself to settle into the soft mattress under him, slowly opening his eyes again.

"Grandpa?"

Henry nodded down at him, finally releasing him as he stopped thrashing.

Will blinked slowly, his brain trying to process everything. It hurt too much to think hard and his brain was still fuzzy from whatever medicine they had given him, but he did the best he could.

"Where's Mattie?" Will whispered, his eyes growing large as his heart rate slowly went back to something like normal. "Is she okay?"

For a long moment, Henry didn't answer. He stared down at his grandson, his eyes narrowed in concentration, as if he had to interpret every word and process it.

"I don't know, Kid," he murmured finally, resting one hand on Will's shoulder. "Your mom and dad are out looking for her."

"I didn't mean to leave her," Will sobbed, his brow tightening as he fought against the surging pain in his head. "I didn't mean to--"

"Hey," Henry whispered, gently squeezing Will's shoulder. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault."

Will nodded stiffly, keeping his eyes shut as he listened to his grandfather's comforting voice over him. "Is she going to be okay, Grandpa?"

"Yeah, Kid. She's going to be fine."

"Promise?"

Henry hesitated, just for a moment.

He wasn't a liar.

He couldn't lie.

It was always better to know the truth, wasn't it?

The truth this time was that he didn't have a damn idea if any of them would ever see Mattie again, and every hour that passed made it less likely they would.

But that's not what Will needed to hear right now.

For once, the lie was better.

"Yeah, Will. I promise."

* * *

The fingers closed around her collar as she reached for the cellar door.

Freedom.

It was so close she could almost see her mommy and daddy again…

But the hand pulled her back, dragging her roughly down the stairs. She struggled, but physical strength wasn't one of her assets.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs again, the man finally released her, pushing her deeper into the cellar. Mattie opened her mouth to scream again, but before she could his hand clasped over her mouth, silencing her.

"Look, kid," the mean man growled, glaring at her. "If you scream again, I'll gag you. Your choice."

Mattie instantly shut her mouth, knowing he meant it.

Maybe screaming wasn't her best asset, after all.

The man slowly let go of her mouth, ready to silence her again if screamed. She just stood there, however, trapped once more in the cold, lonely cellar.

"You need to relax, kid," the man growled, slowly starting up the stairs again once he was sure Mattie was going to remain quiet. "You're just making it worse on yourself. You're not even the one she's after."

Mattie blinked, her brow wrinkling in confusion.

"Wait," she called after him as he reached the top of the stairs. "What does that mean? Who's she after?"

But the door had already closed behind him and the light was off once more.

* * *

"How fast can you count to a million?" Lassiter asked, glancing up from his desk at the two Spencers. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I don't know," Shawn shrugged. "But I'm guessing it's a ransom note."

"A million dollar ransom?" Lassiter repeated, nodding slowly as he assessed the idea. "Could be…"

"It's a ransom," Shawn assured him, suddenly sounding more confident. "But that doesn't matter now. There's something more important about this note."

"What?" Lassiter asked, confused.

"It's addressed to me," Juliet told him quietly. "Yang's only addressed one other thing to me; the picture of Will and Mattie when they first disappeared. And Shawn said she mentioned me when they met in the park…it sounds like she's planning on going after me next, Carlton."

"That's perfect," Lassiter grinned, standing up. "We'll set up a sting and--"

"Perfect?" Shawn interrupted. "Lassie, we're not talking about a lazy evening of bubble and Suduko. She's going after my family, here!"

"I know that, Spencer!" Lassiter spat, stalking off to get his perfect plan together. "I'm working on it!"

"Well, work faster!" Shawn countered, following him.

Juliet started to follow both of them, certain they would need to her to referee at some point, but at that moment her cell phone rang.

"O'Hara," she answered it, not bothering to check the caller ID. She assumed it was the hospital with news about Will.

She didn't expect to hear the chilling, calm female voice on the other end.

"Hello, Detective," it greeted brightly, sending a chill down her spine.

She recognized it immediately, of course.

She would never forget that voice.

"Yang?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as her fingers tensed. "Where's Mattie?"

"Didn't you get my note?" Yang asked breezily. "I put it in the most obvious spot. I was sure Shawn would find it by now."

"Of course he found it," Juliet snapped. "You want a million dollars for my daughter, right?"

"For the girl?" Yang laughed shrilly. "I think you overestimate the value of a child's life, Detective. The million dollars isn't for the girl. It's for you."

Juliet's heart stopped.

What the hell was Yang saying?

"What do you mean, for me?" she asked through clenched teeth, trying to keep her mind clear enough to think. She looked across the precinct, praying Shawn would see her and come back.

But he was in Lassiter's office, still bickering.

"It's Act II," Yang explained coolly. "I'm proposing an even trade. You for the girl. If your husband gets the million dollars together by the time the alarm winds down, you'll be fine. If not…at least the girl will be."

Juliet pulled the small timer out of her pocket, where she had kept it since they had found it.

Thirteen hours left.

She didn't even need seven seconds to make her choice.

Hell, she didn't need five.

"If I come, you'll let Mattie go?" she asked carefully, looking for a loophole even though it didn't matter anymore. "You won't hurt her?"

She didn't have a choice.

"Scout's honor," Yang promised, her voice sweet as if they were discussing a bake sale.

Juliet nodded. "Just tell me where. I'll be there."

* * *

Shawn Spencer had forgiven a lot in his time.

He'd forgiven Gus for the peanut butter and banana sandwich incident.

He'd forgiven his fourth grade teacher for telling his father he was slacking off, earning him a month of being grounded and about a million hours of additional schoolwork.

He'd forgiven his father for everything.

Well, just about everything…

But there was one thing in his life Shawn Spencer would never be able to forgive himself for, no matter how long he lived: The moment he stepped out of Lassiter's office and looked over at Juliet's desk, where she had just been minutes ago.

She was gone.

That moment; that sickening, sinking realization that she was gone…his wife was gone…

If he lived to be a million years old, he would never forget that moment.

He would never forgive himself for that moment.

For a moment, he stood dumbly in Lassiter's doorway, letting the Chief bump into him as he tried to exit.

"Damn it, Spencer!" the man growled, elbowing past the frozen psychic. "Get out of my--"

He stopped when he saw the empty desk across the room.

They both looked at each other, instantly knowing what it meant. Without a word, they bolted across the precinct, even though they already knew it wasn't going to do them any good.

Juliet was gone.

She was gone.

Her cell phone was still on the desk, open but turned off. Shawn slowly picked it up, quickly scrolling through her recent calls.

He immediately recognized the last number.

It was the same number that had sent him the text.

Lassiter recognized it, too.

"It's no good, Spencer," he murmured, shaking his head helplessly. His eyes were wide with the same panic that was now surging through Shawn's bloodstream. "I tried to run a trace before…it's a prepaid cell phone. It's a dead end. I can trace it back to the store she bought it at, but that's all. It won't tell us where she is now. We can't triangulate the signal unless we have her on the line."

Shawn didn't respond.

There wasn't anything else to say.

His wife was gone.

The one person left he could actually protect, and he'd let her down.

He closed his eyes, for the first time in his life his brain completely shutting down.

He couldn't have told you his own name in that moment if you had asked him to.

The only coherent thought pounding through his mind was. _Where the hell are Gus and his Michael Jackson impression when I really need them…?_

* * *

She was probably walking into a trap.

Juliet wasn't an idiot.

She knew that.

But she didn't have a choice.

Even if it didn't work, even if it didn't get her Mattie back, she had to try. It was her only hope.

The instructions over the phone had been crystal clear: meet back at the shed in the park.

It seemed kind of obvious to Juliet, but who was she to argue?

After all, if it was obvious, it made it that much more likely Shawn would figure out where she was and come without her having to tell him anything.

That had been the second part of the instructions: she couldn't tell anyone where she was going. She was to hang up the phone and walk out of the precinct without saying a word to anyone.

One word to a single soul, and Mattie was dead.

Somehow, she didn't doubt Yang's word on this one.

There didn't seem to be anyone around when she arrived. She didn't let that stop her, however. She pushed the shed door wide open, quickly stepping inside before she had time to think about what she was doing.

"I'm here," she called into the dark silence surrounding her.

No one answered.

She took another cautious step inside the shed, hearing the old wood creaking and groaning with every movement.

God, she wished she had her gun.

Or at least her vest.

__

Something,

No, she decided, taking one last step into the black. What she needed was Shawn.

The thought barely had time to register in her mind before there was a metallic click behind her. She whirled around just in time to see the shed door slamming shut behind her. She rushed at it, but it was too late.

It was bolted tight.

She was stuck.

She threw her weight against the door, her pulse starting to race.

There was a sudden flash of light from the depths of the shed, blinding her for a split second.

A road flare…?

She spun around again, pressing her back to the door as she shielded her eyes.

It looked like a road flare, but what the hell was a road flare…?

She stopped wondering when she saw the bags of fertilizer laying around.

__

Oh, crap…

It was perfect in its simplicity, and she had been damn fool enough to walk right into it.

Of course she had.

It was like she'd said herself. She was totally distracted.

She threw her weight against the door again and again, knowing she only had a few seconds before the entire place went up.

There was another blinding flash of white, and that was the last thing she remembered.


	8. Chapter 8

Lassiter had never seen Shawn Spencer sit still before.

It seemed like the psychic detective was always moving; fidgeting, squirming, dancing…he always had to be doing _something._

But for once, on the car ride to the hospital after the call came in about the explosion in the park, he was sitting perfectly still.

It was almost eerie.

He looked over at Shawn several times during the silent ride, looking for something to say.

He'd worked with the man for over fifteen years, after all. He'd been his boss for seven.

Well, in name he had been Shawn's boss. In practice, Lassiter had learned long ago to pick his battles. Sometimes, the headache just wasn't worth it.

More than that, however, he had been Juliet's partner. He was still her partner, even if he technically outranked her. Though he would never admit it aloud, it terms of sheer talent, they were and had always been equals. He had depended on her more than anyone else in the precinct since he'd taken over for Vick, and even though he never actually told her that, he knew she knew.

But that was good enough now.

He had to say something.

He had to at least try.

Hell, Spencer was the closest thing to an actual friend he had. What kind of friend didn't know what to say when his friend's wife got blown half to hell?

What kind of friend didn't know how to find his friend's damn kids?

Ever since Juliet had gotten the note, he'd tried to maintain a professional distance. He'd try to act like it was a normal case, like it wasn't getting under skin. He tried…but he knew he was lying to himself.

It was personal.

It had been personal from the first minute.

He knew that was wrong. He knew making it personal was how detectives messed up, how they missed things.

How they walked into bombs.

But he couldn't help it. He didn't want to help it.

He wanted it to be personal.

He looked over at Shawn again, opening his mouth to finally let something come out. "Spencer."

At least he got his name out.

That was a start, right?

Shawn blinked out of his daze, half looking over at the Chief. "What?"

"I'm sorry."

Shawn blinked again, absolutely unable to process any of those syllables coming from Lassiter. "What?" he asked again, if possible his voice weaker this time.

"I'm sorry," Lassiter repeated. "Damn it, Spencer. I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't find your kid. I'm sorry I let your wife…" He ran out of words right about here, his voice stuttering to an end.

Shawn just nodded, his jaw tightening.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Finally, Shawn looked over again, his hollow eyes sparking with a mild, subdued light. "Lassie," he said quietly, his voice matching his eyes. "I'm not a psychic."

Lassiter's eyebrows shot up in surprise, not at the confession itself but at the timing.

What the hell was Spencer thinking?

Why would he bother admitting that now?

They had long ago reached a tacit understanding that Lassiter wouldn't ask questions and Shawn wouldn't answer them, just as long as the cases got solved and the perps went away.

"Jules knows," Shawn pressed on through the silence from the seat next to him, gazing out the window. "She always knew, even before I told her. And I know you know, too. You can fire me, charge me, throw my lying ass in jail…whatever you have to do. I don't care. It doesn't matter anymore."

"What the hell are you talking about, Spencer?" Lassiter snarled, his ears burning red as he gripped the wheel in white knuckles. "I'm not going to arrest you! I'm trying to help you!"

"I know," Shawn nodded, looking back over. "But I don't need help from a Chief who thinks I'm a psychic. I don't need help from some boss I'm conning. I need help from a friend."

Lassiter nodded slowly, but Shawn didn't let him speak. He just pressed on, his words coming out faster now. "My son's barely clinging to life, my wife was just blown up, my daughter's missing…I can't do this on my own, Lassie. I can't fix it. I can't even see it anymore. My whole life, I've been able to see everything. Remember everything…but now, I can't even see what's out the window. Everything's a blur. A stupid blur. That's what Yang wants. I'm supposed to try to do it myself...but I can't." He groaned, closing his eyes as his voice fell. "You're a good cop, Lassie. You've always been a good cop. If I'm going to beat Yang this time…if I'm ever going to get my family back together again…I need you to see for me. I need you to see everything." He opened one eye, looking up at the Chief. "Can you do it, Lassie?"

Lassiter nodded without blinking or flinching. "Yeah, Spencer. I can do it."

* * *

The room was dark and silent when Shawn walked in.

Not that he expected anything else.

She was still unconscious from the smoke inhalation, burned and possibly scarred…but she was alive.

God only knew how.

The bomb squad's best guess was that she had fallen through the rickety shed door seconds before the blast, getting just enough distance to save her life, though not enough to spare her a trip to the ICU.

"It looks like some nasty stuff, Sir," the bomb squad guy whose name Shawn hadn't even tried to remember had told Lassiter in the waiting room while they waited for any word about Juliet. "Fertilizer bomb is my initial guess, like a mini-version of the one used in the Oklahoma city bombing. Rudimentary ingredients, but damn effective. We won't really know much until we do our full investigation."

Shawn had stopped listening at that point, shutting out the entire world around him except for the blaring TV in the corner of the waiting room.

A hockey game…

Was it hockey?

Basketball?

He honestly couldn't remember what had been on.

As he stood in the doorway of the ICU, staring at his wife under the white sheets, he wasn't even sure if the TV had been on at all.

And he sure as hell didn't know how many hats there had been.

The doctors weren't happy about letting him see her, but they had finally allowed it when Lassiter flashed his badge. He only had three minutes.

Three minutes to say everything he wanted to say.

Her face was patched in white cloth, covering the burns. A tube was down her throat, connected to a ventilator.

Did it even matter what he said?

Would she even hear him?

Shawn's breath caught in his chest as he realized the last time he had seen her in a hospital bed, she was giving birth to Mattie.

The last time she had been in a hospital bed, she was completing their family.

Making them whole.

He remembered his promise that day, whispered into Juliet's damp, sweaty hair as she held their little girl for the first time.

"She's beautiful," he had murmured, staring down at her.

Juliet had laughed. "She looks like you. Look at those eyes."

"I know," Shawn grinned, kissing the top of his wife's head. "Sorry about that. Guess I'm the father after all. Damn."

Juliet just shrugged tiredly, passing her husband the tiny bundle. "Can you take care of her?" she'd whispered. "I can't keep my eyes open. The meds…"

Her voice had trailed off as her eyes drooped. Shawn just smiled, pulling the tiny hospital blanket tighter around his daughter, looking into the eyes that he had to admit were reflections of his own. "Yeah, Jules. You go to sleep. I'll take care of her."

He'd meant it then, and he meant it now.

He was going to take care of his little girl.

He was standing over Juliet now, holding his breath as he waited for the words to come.

They never did.

The doctor appeared in the doorway a minute later, glaring at him. "I said three minutes. You have to go, Mr. Spencer."

Shawn nodded, looking back at Juliet one last time.

He smiled to himself, bending over her and placing a kiss at the top of her head, the one place not covered in bandages and wrappings. "You sleep, Jules. I'll take care of her. I promise."

z88;

* * * *

Before leaving the hospital, Shawn decided to see Will again. He hadn't seen his son since he'd waken up, but his master plan of Yang not being able to take out his whole family if they weren't all together to begin with hadn't worked out quite the way he thought, so what did it matter now?

Will was sitting up in the bed when he walked in, still looking pallid and scared. His face broke in a huge grin when he saw his dad.

"Dad," he sort of squealed, though it sounded more like a sickly moan given the pain he was still in. "Where's mom? Is she looking for Mattie?"

Shawn smiled blandly, perching at the foot of the bed. "Yeah, Buddy. She's looking for Mattie."

He never lied to his kids, at least not like this. His lies had always been limited to Santa and "No, Grandpa and I never fought when I was growing. I always listened to everything he said, just like you should listen to me."

Will didn't buy either of those fibs anymore, but he bought this one.

He just nodded happily, settling back into the bed as he searched his father's face. "They don't have rocky road ice cream, Dad," he complained. "And Grandpa said he wasn't going to get me any because he wasn't leaving me alone to go to the store just to get me rocky road when vanilla is good enough and I should just eat that."

"That sounds like Grandpa," Shawn laughed, rolling his eyes. "Did he make you count hats, too?"

"No," Will shook his head slowly, his blue eyes that looked so much like Juliet's narrowing in concentration. "But he said I could help the police find Mattie if I could remember anything. I'm trying, Dad. But I can't…I just can't."

"It's okay," Shawn told him, gently squeezing his foot as he grinned mischievously. "It's not your job to find Mattie. It's ours. Your job is to drive your Grandpa crazy until he caves in and gets you ice cream, okay?"

Will returned the grin. "I can do that," he promised, then frowned thoughtfully. "She was scared…I was trying to be brave, like you and Mommy…but it was dark…" he murmured. "That's all I remember."

"Dark?" Shawn repeated, blinking slowly. "What do you mean, dark?"

"I couldn't see anything," Will pressed on. "There weren't any lights…and it smelled weird. I think…"

"Smelled like what?" Shawn asked, his heart starting to pound.

His job or not, Will was starting to remember.

"Like Grandpa after he's been working in the garden," Will told him. "When he's planting with that special dirt stuff he uses."

"Fertilizer?" Shawn asked. "It smelled like fertilizer?"

Will nodded slowly. "The mean guy smelled like that, too…" He winced, putting a hand to his head as he clenched his eyes shut against a sudden jolt of pain. "I don't remember anything else."

Shawn squeezed his foot again as he laid his head back against the pillow.

"My head hurts, Dad."

"I know, Buddy," Shawn murmured, wishing more than anything he could make it stop.

God, he just wanted it all to stop.

Will finally opened his eyes again, gazing back up at his father. "Did I help?"

"Yeah," Shawn nodded. "I think you did."


End file.
